So Long, July...
Posted July 29, 2007, 4:20 PM ET

Normally, July is the one month in the sports calendar year that seems to last forever because nothing of importance takes place.

In all of my years as a sports fan, and in the ten years of hosting a sports talk radio show, I've never experienced a week like the one we've just lived through.

Not only did we have huge scandals and issues in the NBA, NFL, MLB and Tour de France, but we had the unexpected passing of Wake Forest basketball coach Skip Prosser. He was only 56 years old.

The loss of Prosser is the one that sticks with me the most. The sudden news of his death was tough to deal with on the air and I'm still numb. There have been a few times in my life when the loss of a sports figure grabbed me and stopped me in my tracks...Len Bias, Joe Morrison and of course, Dale Earnhardt.

You just don't expect to lose a guy in his prime, like Skip Prosser.

We were on the air last Thursday, twenty minutes into the show, when I started getting emails from all over the place about the rumor of Prosser's possible passing. The internet is loaded with off-beat rumors, and I was praying that this was the case again. Unfortunately, it was proven to be an awful nightmare by the end of the hour.

Wake Forest will be healing for quite some time. As the football team begins to report to school to defend their improbable ACC title from last season, the small Baptist school now has a fan base in total shock. It just doesn't seem right...or real.

Skip Prosser had been a guest many times on our radio show, and his acerbic wit and style made for a pleasant interview. He was well-liked by his peers and well-respected in the Winston-Salem community.

The more you read about Prosser after his death, the more you begin to understand why he was so liked. The one story that jumped out at me was printed in the Winston-Salem Journal. It detailed how Prosser and his wife Nancy were devoted to animals and the Forsyth County Humane Society.

As a dog lover, I connected with the story immediately. I suggest you check out the story, too.

Given all the talk lately about Michael Vick and what he has been accussed of doing with the pit bulls, the actions of Skip and Nancy Prosser were a welcomed relief. It's a shame that Prosser won't be around to take care of his animals, his team or his family.

I'm sure I speak for everybody, in that our thoughts and prayers go out to Nancy, their two sons and the entire Wake Forest community.

God Bless.